Primary hyperparathyroidism. A personal experience with 242 cases

Two hundred forty-two patients with primary hyperparathyroidism operated on at Akron City Hospital are reviewed. The importance of the association of peptic ulcer and pancreatitis with primary hyperparathyroidism is stressed. Nineteen percent of the patients had associated peptic ulcer or pancreatitis. The mechanisms involved in the production of these diseases in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism are emphasized. The two deaths occurred in the small but challenging group of patients with acute parathyroid crisis and carcinoma. The decision concerning the extent of parathyroidectomy should be made by the surgeon for each patient, based on the number, location and gross appearance of the identified glands. Removal of a single enlarged gland, if the other three glands are normal, is all that needs to be done in most cases. A recurrence rate of 1 percent and an appreciable decrease in postoperative tetany support this conservative approach. Subtotal parathyroidectomy should be reserved for patients with diffuse hyperplasia.